The invention relates to an amusement device comprising a guide construction forming a track, along which a vehicle, in which at least one person can be seated, is movable in a direction of transport, wherein a holder of the vehicle, which accommodates said person, can be tilted about a tilting axis from a first position, in which the person present in the vehicle includes an angle with the track, to a second position, in which the person who is present in the vehicle in use extends substantially parallel to the track, and vice versa.
With a similar amusement device, which is known from International patent application WO 97/02878 of the applicant, a person is seated in a substantially vertical position in a holder which is connected to the track in such a manner as to be capable of tilting movement about a tilting axis near the person""s head. After the person has seated himself in the holder, the holder is tilted with respect to the track, in such a manner that the person will hang under the track with his back turned to and parallel to said track. Then the person is transported over said track in the direction of transport, as a result of which the person hanging under the track experiences a sensation of flying, as it were.
Although this manner of positioning a person under a track is satisfactory per se, the known amusement device has a few drawbacks.
With some amusement devices it is considered a drawback that users have the track present above the holders in view at a boarding and unboarding station, because said track affects the appearance of the amusement device.
Another drawback occurs at so-called emergency sections. Such an emergency section on the track is used for bringing the vehicle to a standstill in case of an emergency. If it must be possible for the person to get off the holder in the emergency section, which is preferably horizontal, an unboarding facility must be provided under the track and the holders suspended therefrom in the emergency section. This necessary unboarding facility makes the amusement device unnecessarily complicated and affects the appearance of the amusement device.
The object of the invention is to provide an amusement device, wherein a person can get on and off a holder in a simple manner, whilst said person is subsequently moved along the track in a position substantially parallel to the track.
This objective is accomplished with the amusement device according to the invention in that the holder is positioned above the track in said first position, whereby the tilting axis is located on a side remote from the person""s head.
As a result of this, the track is present under the holder, and consequently under the person who is present in the holder, during boarding and unboarding. In comparison with the amusement device according to WO 97/02878, the person is tilted about his feet as it were rather than about his head. In this way, the track can be simply hidden from sight during boarding and unboarding. Furthermore, in an emergency section, wherein the holder is present on top of the track, the person can simply be moved to a vertical position by being tilted about the tilting axis and subsequently get out of the holder and leave the amusement device via an unboarding facility which is provided in or parallel to the track.
One embodiment of the amusement device according to the invention is characterized in that the holder can be moved from said first position, in which the holder is positioned above the track and in which a person present in the holder occupies a substantially vertical position, to said second position, in which the holder is positioned under the track and in which said person occupies a position with his back parallel to the track, and vice versa.
In the first position, getting on and off the holder is easy. In the second position, the person hangs under the track and experiences a sensation of flying.
Another embodiment of the amusement device according to the invention is characterized in that the holder can be moved from the first position to the second, and vice versa, via an intermediate position, wherein the holder is positioned above the track and the person occupies a position with his back parallel to the track.
In this manner, a person can be moved from a substantially vertical position in said first position of the holder, via a position substantially on his back in said intermediate position of the holder, to a position substantially on his stomach in said second position of the holder.
It is noted that from WO 96/22821 an amusement device is known wherein the person directly takes up a position in which he lies on his stomach, hanging under the track, at the boarding and unboarding station. Such a manner of boarding and unboarding is time-consuming, it is found to be embarrassing by skirt wearers, among others, it is unsuitable for elderly persons and for disabled persons, and it has the same drawbacks as regards the emergency sections as the amusement device which is known from WO 97/02878.